Plenty of Marble in the Capital

It is impossible to give a comprehensive guide to Washington in one article, but here is a general rule: every building that is big and made of white marble should be visited.

First, the famous parts:

The Mall is a large, grassy rectangle in the middle of Washington. It has no Benettons or Burger Kings.

But the Mall does have some of the best tourist attractions in America, flanked at either end by the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, and dominated by the phallic 555-foot high Washington Monument. Be sure to wait the 40 minutes for the elevator ride to the top to get the best views of the city.

Lining the Mall are the Smithsonian museums, which are crowded, fascinating and, best of all, free. The two biggies are the National Gallery of Art and the Air and Space Museum.

The National Gallery not only features great collections of American and Impressionist painting, but it also has the I.M. Pei-designed East Wing, home to its modern art collection and various rotating exhibits.

The Air and Space museum is the most popular of its kind in the world, and for good reason. Planes hang from the ceiling. Rockets rise from the carpeted floor. And a five-story cinema shows amazing IMAX movies like "The Dream is Alive," which will make you feel like you are in the cockpit of the Space Shuttle.

If you have already seen those two and the other big mall museums like the Hirshorn, which features more modern art, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Castle, try the new, underground Sackler Asian Art and African Art museums. They are a little more exotic than their above-ground neighbors.

Those interested in power should make sure to visit their members of Congress at the Capitol, see the Constitution in the Archives and make a tour of the kindler, gentler White House of George Bush.

The Zoo is a nice break from the White House, although it also features primates. It is most famous as the home of the unsexed giant pandas, who fail to reproduce with clockwork regularity, but it also has lions, tigers and bears. Oh my.

For the very sharp-eyed, a search for Mayor Marion Barry is a fun activity, but you are unlikely to find him unless you frequent some of the seedier hotels of the city.

Harvard Spring Break may come a little close to winter, but it does coincide with the explosion of cherry blossoms in the Tidal Basin. The hundreds of Japanese trees lining the river by the Jefferson Memorial draw hundreds of photographers to a sea of pink.

No one ever sees anything off the beaten track in Washington, because there is so much on it, but if you want to escape crowds, check out the Harvard-owned Dumbarton Oaks. This serene Georgetown park has a museum of Byzantine Art and a HOLLIS-listed library. Or take a walk in Rock Creek Park, a sinuous strip of hilly forest in the heart of the city.

When you get oversaturated by the wonders of tourism after about two hours, explore Washington's social life.

Georgetown is like Harvard Square, only more crowded. It is cluttered with lots of boutiques and gourmet food stores. At night, hordes of college students descend upon the bars and restaurants and turn the whole area into a drunken brawl. Sports fans, don't miss Champions, a bar noted for its vocal support of the Redskins and the Georgetown Hoyas.

But Washington nightlife is more than just Georgetown. The 9:30 Club in downtown D.C. features a wide variety of bands, from the polka band Das Furleines to the Pogues. Dancers will find a strange home at Tracks, the club where Washington's gay community meets its straight, and where the Old Milwaukee flows like water.

Washington has its share of the classical performing arts as well. The Kennedy Center offers concerts, operas, plays and movies at obscenely high prices. Those with a little less money can venture to the Arena Stage, Source or Wooly Mammoth Theaters to find decent plays.

And suburbanites take heart, for Washington does have real malls. Near the Mall, you will find the Shops, the Post Office Pavillion and new Union Station, all overpriced and blessed with collections of those little fast-food stands.

A few final words of advice about getting around: Washington is just a big version of the Widener stacks. The layout is perfectly logical, but you will get lost anyway.